Dominican court landmark ruling targets air polluters

Santo Domingo .- The SantoDomingo 1st Panel Court sentenced the owners of an auto paint shop whichoperated in the open on a public road to three years in prison, DominicanRepublic´s first conviction for polluting the air and the second by noisepollution.

The Sano Domingo1stPanel Court sentenced Juan Bautista Fernandez Volquez and Doganis FernándezNúñez to three years suspended sentence, fined RD$600,000 in damages to theplaintiffs and their shop "Papa de la Fibra" was shutteredindefinitely.

The Justice Ministry launchedthe investigation after receiving complaints from residents of Santo DomingoEast of smell of paint, noise and pollution from the makeshift shop.

In a statement, SantoDomingo province prosecutor Olga Dina Llaverías said the ruling sets aprecedent on air pollution cases. "This sentence is a message to personswhose action are polluting or causing harm to the environment, they know theywill face justice and pay for any environmental crime they commit."